A.M. Vitals: Listeria-Contaminated Cantaloupes Tied to 13 Deaths

By Katherine Hobson

Listeria Deaths Confirmed: The CDC has confirmed that 13 deaths and 72 illnesses are tied to listeria-tainted cantaloupes sold by a single farm in Colorado, the WSJ reports. More victims may emerge, the CDC said. Consumers should throw out cantaloupes that may have come from Jensen Farms, which recalled the fruit Sept. 14. The cause of the contamination isn’t yet known.

Best Prevention Method?: A group of economists claims circumcising adult men to reduce HIV transmission is not as cost-effective as circumcising male infants, developing an HIV vaccine, improving the safety of blood transfusions and using medication to reduce the infection of newborns by their mothers, USA Today reports. The World Bank disagrees, comparing the effectiveness of adult male circumcision to a vaccine.

Refunds Over Toning Claims: Adidas unit Reebok is refunding $25 million to customers who purchased its EasyTone and RunTone shoes to settle FTC charges of false advertising over the shoes’ claimed benefits, the WSJ reports. The FTC said it could find no proof for the claims that the shoes produced more muscle tone than conventional exercise shoes. Reebok says it stands behind its toning technology and does not agree with the FTC’s allegations.

Blood-Pressure Risk: A review of previously published research suggests that people with blood pressure that’s elevated, but not high enough to qualify them as hypertensive, are still at an increased risk of stroke, WebMD reports. Pre-hypertensives had a 55% higher risk of stroke compared to adults with normal blood pressure, the study — published in Neurology — found.

Comments (5 of 7)

I think that even if circumcision did siaglficnntiy reduce the HIV transmission rate in consenting adult men in Africa practicing unsafe sex under unsanitary conditions and dangerous cultural beliefs (and even that is a BIG if ), I don't think that research is remotely applicable to performing circumcision on non-consenting American infants, growing up with easy access to sanitation of all forms and condoms, in a culture where no one believes sex with a virgin cures AIDS. Of course, circumcision offers no protection for women or gay men, either, or any protection for needle drug users, which means that the most common methods of transmission and the groups with the highest infection rate in the US wouldn't benefit, anyway. All of this is irrelevant to me, anyway, as I think it's a basic violation of human rights and human decency to perform elective, cosmetic surgery (often unanesthetized) on an infant. Cutting parts off babies without dire, immediate need is wrong. Why does the argument need to past that?

5:21 pm October 1, 2011

Chris wrote :

If female circumcision were 100% proven to completely eliminate HIV would society accept that as a cure? Of course not. But if male circumcision might reduce HIV by even 1% then we better do it because its all in the name of fighting AIDS. Medical institutions don't even consider doing a study on how female circumcision affects HIV rates because it is not seen as an option even if was effective so there is no need to do a study. When it comes to male circumcision medical institutions search for flawed studies that were done in 3rd world countries. I see some inconsistencies here.

The word "circumcision" is just playing games with semantics to camouflage it for what it really is, a bizarre sexual mutilation torture ritual. If a person circumcised a male cat or dog they would go to jail for animal abuse, yet a person can circumcise a male human without his consent and that is somehow okay. Boys not only don't have the same rights as girls, boys don't even have the same rights as animals! What kind of sick and evil society would allow that to be the case?

Circumcision to prevent HIV/AIDS does not make sense. Circumcised men still have to use a condom every time, just like intact (uncircumcised) men. The best way to prevent HIV is through education about safe sex, not surgery.

The good news is that more and more parents are saying 'no' to circumcision and are keeping their baby boys intact. Before any parent chooses (or pays for) circumcision, they should definitely do their homework and really understand what circumcision entails (watch a video of a circumcision on-line), and they should study the functions and purpose of the foreskin (it's important to human sexuality). Just Google 'circumcision' or 'foreskin anatomy'.

11:15 pm September 29, 2011

Craig Garrett wrote :

Circumcision to prevent HIV/AIDS does not make sense. Circumcised men still have to use a condom every time, just like intact (uncircumcised) men. The best way to prevent HIV is through education about safe sex, not surgery.

The good news is that more and more parents are saying 'no' to circumcision and are keeping their baby boys intact. Before any parent chooses (or pays for) circumcision, they should definitely do their homework and really understand what circumcision entails (watch a video of a circumcision on-line), and they should study the functions and purpose of the foreskin (it's important to human sexuality).http://www.circumcision.org/